By KEVIN WALKER
Michigan Correspondent

LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Jennifer Granholm has issued a new executive order that will restore a lot of the power the Agriculture Commission currently has, but which would have been taken away by an executive order she issued last October.

As it stands now, the old executive order (EO), called 2009-45, will take effect Jan. 17, 2010, but it will be modified by the governor’s latest EO, 2009-54. The old order combines the Departments of Environmental Quality and Natural Resources, but at the same time makes changes to the Natural Resources Commission and Agriculture Commission, largely stripping them of their power to appoint their respective directors as well as their ability to make and review regulations. The new EO doesn’t affect the combination or the Natural Resources Commission.

The Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) has been working with the governor to work out a compromise that both she and the agriculture community can live with. According to a press release issued by the governor’s office Dec. 1, she will still appoint the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture  (MDA) director “to ensure accountability to a statewide elected official who, in turn, is directly accountable to the people of the state. However, the executive order returns specific statutory decision-making authority to the Agriculture Commission.”

“From the Farm Bureau’s standpoint it’s not the perfect package,” said Jill Corrin, a spokeswoman for the MFB. “Under the circumstances it was the best option. It is a compromise agreement. It’s an easier pill to swallow because there’s the opportunity for the Agriculture Commission to be involved in the management of the MDA director. There is now a sense of accountability in the new executive order.”

Currently, in addition to its power to appoint the MDA director, the Agriculture Commission has the power to review and promulgate regulations. For example, it reviews the Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices, usually referred to as GAAMPs, on a yearly basis. Under the old order, powers such as this would have become strictly advisory.

“We have that stakeholder involvement back,” Corrin said.
Not everyone is satisfied with the compromise. Jeff Cobb, an assistant to State Sen. Gerald Van Woerkom (R-Muskegon), chairman of the agriculture and bioeconomy committee, said that Van Woerkom isn’t happy with it. He and his colleagues introduced legislation last week that would override the old EO, despite the latest compromise.

“We’ve got a couple bills that got kicked out of the committee yesterday that would restore the current role of the commission and the agriculture director,” Cobb said. “They will go to the floor next week. There are identical bills in the House. I think there is support for keeping the system as it is currently.”

Despite this, Cobb said he is not very confident the House will be given the opportunity to vote to overturn the old executive order. He said that’s because the leadership in the House doesn’t want to embarrass Gov. Granholm.

Jeff Mayes (D-Bay City), chairman of the House agriculture committee during the previous session, is happy with the compromise.

“I’m very pleased with the agreement. No agreement is perfect. This is a good step in the right direction,” Mayes said.